A Night To Remember
by Hippo and Friends
Summary: It is Locke's birthday, and Celes needs to find a dress to make the evening's dinner perfect. When she can't find one, she does something very unexpected. A Celke. Read and review! Rated M for nudity. A stand-alone. Writer: Hippo


Disclaimer: I do not own Celes, Locke, or Terra. More importantly, this fic is rated R, with nudity, sensuality, but, sorry everyone, no sexual contact or any explicit discussion (let's hear all your groans).  
  
  
  
Celes' Dress By Hippo  
  
It was gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. Its glitter sparkled for everyone who took the liberty to look at it. No one could deny its beauty. This was a dress for a queen. It had two strings to hold it up and countless strings on the back. There was no doubt that this dress was to be used only for special occasions. The price was 12,000 GP.  
  
Celes let out a sigh. "It's too expensive," she muttered. "I can't afford it."  
  
"Well, so far it's the cheapest one you've like," replied Terra.  
  
"Why are the best-looking dresses so expensive?" asked Celes rhetorically.  
  
Celes and Terra had spent the last few hours shopping for dresses. They were making no attempt to have a good time, for a very special occasion was coming up in merely a few days. It was Locke's 30th birthday, and Celes wanted to surprise him for dinner. The problem was that she wanted a dress to wear for the occasion, to add to the surprise, but all of the dresses she had seen that day were either unsatisfactory or well out of her price range. Celes was always concerned with one thing or another since she married Locke and became the mother of three, but this was one time she wanted to spend with Locke alone, forgetting all the complications of life.  
  
"Celes, we need to face the facts," replied Terra. "You are going to have to make your own dress."  
  
"No way!" exclaimed Celes. "I can't make any clothes, let alone a dress."  
  
"Well, unless you want to dine naked, you're going to have to," responded Terra.  
  
Celes let her head down. She realized she had no choice. Being raised for warfare, she was never allowed to learn to sew or anything that most other girls had the privilege to learn.  
  
"Come on, it's not that hard," Terra assured her friend. "If you don't know how to make one, I'll show you how."  
  
"That's it!" exclaimed Celes.  
  
"What's it?" asked Terra.  
  
"What you just said! That's a great idea!" Celes continued to exclaim ecstatically.  
  
"So you want to learn how to make a dress? Great! We can start tomorrow," replied Terra happily.  
  
Celes smiled at her friend. Then she let it out.  
  
"No," said Celes, "that's not what I meant. I meant before that. Terra, I am going to dine naked."  
  
Terra froze. "I did not hear what I think I just heard, did I?"  
  
"I'm afraid you did," responded Celes, with the smile still on her face.  
  
"You're joking, right?" giggled Terra.  
  
But the expression of Celes's face remained serious. Terra realized she should have known. After all, Celes rarely joked.  
  
"You're seriously going to spend your dinner with Locke completely naked?"  
  
With the devilish smile still on her face, she nodded.  
  
"Why?" asked Terra, curiously.  
  
"I just want to see the look on his face," replied Celes. Her grin was gone and her face now had its famous "serious" look. "And besides, this is a special time for us together. I want to add to the sensuality."  
  
It soon became clear to Terra that Celes was not playing around. She knew that Celes and Locke were deeply in love, but she had no idea that Celes would be so bold. She continued to stand there with her friend, almost petrified at what she said.  
  
"Is there something wrong?" asked Celes, quietly.  
  
"Celes," replied Terra, "this is not like you at all."  
  
***  
  
"Any they lived happily ever after," finished Celes. Her eldest son, aged five, yawned as he drifted into sleep. Celes kissed him, stood up, and proceeded to her bedroom to meet Terra.  
  
"Are the children in bed?" asked the green-haired woman.  
  
"Yeah. They'll sleep through anything," replied the blond soprano.  
  
Terra had come to assist Celes with cooking the meal. Celes could cook, but she wasn't as skilled as Terra. Locke was out working in the cornfield outside of town, and he was due home in an hour. Since the time Terra had learned about Celes' decision, she had grown more supportive of it. She was planning on proposing to Edgar, and she was even considering popping the question over a dinner very similar to the one that was about to take place. Still, she was not sure is Celes would be bold enough to go through with it.  
  
"You're seriously going to do this?" asked Terra.  
  
"Yes," responded Celes.  
  
Both women could tell she was nervous. She was dressed in her usual black shirt, with yellow pants and a vest of the same color. Terra noticed that they were adjusted neater than usual, despite the fact she wouldn't be wearing them for much longer. Terra was beginning to feel that Celes needed some encouragement.  
  
"Hey," began Terra, "I know you're nervous about this, but I know he's going to like it. Even if he feels strange about you're...attire, the steak will take his mind off of it."  
  
"Thanks," said Celes as she hugged her friend.  
  
*****  
  
Celes decided to bathe herself right after Terra went home. The shower water felt cool on her soft skin. Celes had already showered that morning, but she wanted to be as clean as possible. So far, everything was going according to plan. Terra had left, and Locke was due home in half an hour. She couldn't wait to taste the dinner Terra had made for them, and she was most exited about giving Locke his birthday present. She could only hope he wouldn't look under the sofa, where it was hidden.  
  
Celes dried herself off and went to the mirror to put her makeup on. She felt strange as she put her golden earrings in. Of course she had been naked before, when she bathed, and occasionally when she made love to Locke, but never had she been in such a state wearing earrings and makeup. This feeling gave her stomach butterflies. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.  
  
Then she remembered that Locke had just turned thirty. All over the world, thirty was the age were people started to lament about getting old. Of course Locke showed no signs of old age; he didn't even have any gray hairs yet, but Celes knew it would be a concern for him. She realized that dining with a beautiful naked twenty-three-year-old would make him feel young again.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard the front door shut. Knowing Terra had left almost an hour ago, Celes knew who had just come home. Locke was slightly earlier that she expected. There was no more time to think. Before she could change her mind, Celes walked quickly to the top of the stair. She needed to keep him where he was.  
  
"Locke! Happy birthday!" exclaimed Celes from the top of the stairs. "Sit at the table, I'll be right down."  
  
Celes quickly ran a comb through her beautiful hair. She knew he would realize something was going on soon, so she tried her best to hurry. Once her hair was done to her satisfaction, she quickly tiptoed to the top of the stairs. She almost dashed down the stairwell and into Locke's sight. But as soon as she got there, she pulled herself to a stop. She was beginning to have those second thoughts again.  
  
What is he going to think of this?  
  
Gathering her courage, she began to descend the stairwell. The creaking sounds under her feet made her realize the reality of her situation. One step, then another. Locke could soon see her bare feet, and began to wonder. Had she forgotten her shoes? Locke, on the other hand, was not dressed formally, but nicely nonetheless.  
  
By now Celes's mouth was as dry as bone. Her hands were shaking and her knees were trembling. Her heart was pounding so fast that she felt like her chest was on fire. Suddenly she caught a glimpse of Locke. He was facing the stairwell, and would be able to see her as she gradually made her way into his view. She feared she would retreat up the stairs if she felt he saw too much of her. She wanted to make sure she could not turn back. She had to think of something.  
  
"Locke?" called Celes.  
  
"Yes, Celes?"  
  
"Could you please turn around? I have a surprise for you."  
  
Celes heard Locke do as he was told, and began to proceed down the stairs. She soon reached the bottom, and before long she was a mere five feet behind Locke. Celes swallowed, realizing he would only have to turn around to find out what was going on. Certain that her love could hear nervous heart pounding in her chest, she attempted to speak, but no words could escape her delicate lips. She was so nervous that she wanted to break down on her knees and cry. This was it. She knew she could still turn back, but something in her heart told her to go on. Gathering all of her courage again, she made a second, successful, attempt to speak.  
  
"Locke, you can turn around now."  
  
Slowly, Locke removed his hand from his eyes. Celes gulped, knowing that now there was no turning back. She looked down to see his right foot slowly turning toward the right. That was followed by his whole body beginning to rotate in the same direction. For Celes, this felt like it was one of the longest moments of her life. Before she knew it, his eyes were on her.  
  
There she stood, in front of and face to face with the man she loved, without a piece of clothing on. She knew he could see her. He knew she was exposed and unprotected. She knew that he knew.  
  
"Hi, Locke," was what she at last managed to say.  
  
Locke gazed at Celes. It had been a while since he had seen her in such a state. He still thought she was absolutely gorgeous. He noticed her face was slightly red, and he could tell that she was blushing. Cautiously, he approached her. Celes began to feel her heart pound its hardest as the space between the lovers grew smaller and smaller.  
  
"Celes," whispered Locke, as he wrapped his gentle arms around her. He pressed his lips against hers. And Celes realized that it wasn't such a bad idea after all.  
  
*****  
  
Celes and Locke were soon seated at the table, eating their steak. They talked about what they did that day and what they would do the next. Celes almost forgot she was naked. They were eating dinner, carrying a normal conversation. Neither of them made a huge deal out of the fact she had no clothes on. The steak was absolutely delicious, and Celes realized she needed to have Terra cook for them more often. Celes had also bought a very expensive bottle of wine for dinner, which made it even more enjoyable.  
  
When they were finished, Celes took Locke by the hand and led him to the sofa by the fireplace. She knew they both found fires very romantic, so she lit one right before she put her children to bed. Celes wanted a romantic moment. She needed to give Locke his present. She blushed when she realized he was probably staring at her bare butt. Not that she really cared. She once overheard Edgar telling Setzer that he thought her butt was pretty nice, so why not show it off to the man she loved?  
  
They sat down together when they reached the sofa, with Celes holding Locke's right hand in both of hers. The married couple gazed into each other's eyes. Locke raised his free hand and stroked his wife's golden hair. He could tell she was apprehensive about something.  
  
"I have something for you," Celes quietly declared as she reached under the sofa, and removed the tiny package from its hiding place. She placed it in Locke's hands and looked him in the eyes.  
  
Cautiously, Locke undid the binding. The wrapping paper unfolded almost on its own, leaving the box there, waiting for him to open it. Locke slowly lifted the lid and gasped. It was a beautiful golden watch. On the back of the watch was an inscription that read: TO MY BELOVED ON HIS THIRTIETH BIRTHDAY. I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER.  
  
"Celes," spoke a very speechless Locke, "thank you!"  
  
Locke placed one hand on the small of her back and placed the other on her left shoulder blade and pulled her in for a kiss. Celes raised her right leg slightly as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.  
  
"I love you, Locke, with all my heart," whispered Celes, with years almost threatening her blue eyes.  
  
"Oh, Celes, I love you too."  
  
*****  
  
With their hands clasped, they slowly climbed the stairs to their bedroom. They were both very tired from the long day. Celes realized that this was a day she would never forget. She almost sighed with regret when they reached their bedroom, knowing that all good thins must come to an end. Locke toyed with the idea of picking her up and carrying her through the doorway, but he knew her giggling would wake the children.  
  
Celes shut the door behind them as Locke changed into his pajamas. She threw a T-shirt on, walked over to the bed, and sat down next to Locke. Locke turned out the light and lay down. He couldn't see, but he could definitely feel the pleasure of two of the most loving arms wrap around him.  
  
"Good night," said Locke, as he planted a kiss on Celes' head.  
  
"Good night," replied Celes, as she joined the love of her life in peaceful slumber. 


End file.
